A Different Path: A What if? story
by metalechidna
Summary: What if Eggman had discovered Project Shadow years earlier than in the Games? What if this caused him to attack years earlier? And how does one different event change everything in a series, including the role every person plays in the story? What if Shadow no longer plays the dark antihero role? What if Sonic's no longer the main Hero of Earth? *a roleswap AU*


"What's _this_?" Dr Robotnik questioned himself quietly, opening the encrypted file on the laptop he'd stolen. It was a clunky GUN thing – Robotnik could build _toasters_ with superior computing power – but it was the information on it that he wanted. Not for any overly nefarious reason, of course. Not yet, anyway. He was doing a scope of their defences, calculating what was to be his first attack.

Not that he really saw it as an attack: it was more saving people from themselves. Under Robotnik's rule, there would be true order. There would certainly be no hypocritical attacks against scientists just trying to do the job they were _ordered_ to do. He remembered when he had first found out about the truth behind the ARK attacks, back when Dr Robotnik himself had worked for GUN. His Grandfather had wanted to create Project Shadow for medical purposes only: a superior life form with a superior immune system: and immune system he could study, and modify Maria's into. It had been GUN who had refused to fund the project unless they got something out of it: a biological weapon. His Grandfather had gone along with it – reluctantly, his grandson was sure – under the premise that GUN would allow an ultimate bio-weapon to have an ultimate immune system. And what had he gotten out of mindless compliance? An early death for him and his Granddaughter!

Ever since that day, Robotnik had been determined to overthrow the obviously corrupt government, and replace it with a truly fair one; one that valued the scientific method, and didn't blindly attack itself out of malice. One that didn't shout "witchcraft" at the tiniest bit of science. Okay, so using robots would be a bit eccentric, he admitted to himself. But the end justified the means.

"What's this?" Robotnik questioned, opening a file. It was filled with the sort of military propaganda that Robotnik had never really gone for. He contemplated closing it and going back to the files that contained information on GUN defences; the decision he was to make would be far more important than anyone would ever realise.

According to the theory of multiple universes, whenever a choice needs to be made, the universe splits into two –or more – different universes. In one universe one choice was made, and another universe another choice was made, and so on. Now, in **one** universe, Robotnik decided to exit the folder, and go back to his plotting. He would go on to attack the strategic location of Green Hill Zone, along with its GUN base. He would go on to attack many more zones, but ultimately be stopped every time by a young boy - a hedgehog - before he could enact any plan properly. He would have gone on to attack again and again, until years later frustration made him turn back to GUN resources: leading him to rediscover this file. But his first attack on Green Hill Zone wouldn't have happened for a few years – although the Robotnik in that universe was to become an egotistical madman, the current Robotnik was cautious, and wanted to do his task with as little struggle and bloodshed as possible, and therefore needed time to build up more robots.

But _this _wasn't **that **universe. **This** Robotnik decided to skim through the file for useful information. **This** Robotnik caught sight of two words that the other Robotnik wouldn't see for many years.

"Project Shadow?" Officially, the ARK had been shut down due to an experiment called "Artificial Chaos" going wrong and destroying everything. Years later, when joining GUN, the Commander had told him that what _really_ went wrong was his Grandfather deciding to turn Project Shadow, as a weapon, against GUN. An effort to remove any loyalty Robotnik might have had to his Grandfather, he supposed. But as previously stated, Robotnik had found out that the weapon component was GUN's idea: an idea that they had punished his Grandfather for. And for that, Robotnik would punish them! Not in blind retaliation like those GUN buffoons, but like a stern parent with a naughty child. He'd fix the whole government, even if he needed to be seen as the bad guy in order to do it.

And with Project Shadow in his hands, he wouldn't have to wait years to do it. The file detailed exactly where to find the project: and, well, Robotnik didn't want to get his hopes up, but if it was as powerful as the files suggested, it wouldn't matter if he didn't have many robots, or if they were still glitchy. The world was in his reach, and if he could manage to grasp it, he could save it.

~~~  
**Man, I hope that didn't drag on too much! Too much description, not enough dialogue probably, but I really wanted to explore Eggman's reasoning behind wanting to conquer Earth. I mean, I really like it when villains have a reason for their crimes behind doing evil stuff for fun. Also, I explored some concepts that aren't necessarily cannon, but fit into cannon:  
-Eggman used to work for GUN  
-Eggman was close to his Grandfather, and knew of him and his cousin dying- but didn't know the exact circumstances of their death until an adult  
-Upon finding out the truth behind their death, he became convinced that the world would be better off under his rule**

**Also, this AU is based off the Games. I plan on making this story two chapters: the purpose of this story establish how this universe started becoming different from the Games Universe. BUT, I want to make more stories set in it. Everything's the same as the Games-verse for now, but it won't stay that way for long…. Don't worry though, AU doesn't mean OOC! The purpose of a roleswap AU (to me) is to explore how one character would fulfill another character's role in a series without their personality being changed drastically. **

**Next chapter: Shadow-centric! Without Amy, and woken up 10 years earlier, how will he react? More importantly, how will he be stopped? (fair warning, it's a massive anticlimax).**


End file.
